Roby 1844

So, the weather outside has been more frightful than delightful but bursts of summer keep breaking through and we’re crossing every digit for a pleasant June when Manchester’s reopening starts properly. And when Manchester is sunny there’s nowhere better to have a drink or bite to eat than a canalside bar. This is where the new bar and restaurant Roby 1844 comes into the picture.

Based on Aytoun Street in the heart of Manchester, Roby 1844, is your all-day destination for those lovely food-then-drinks spontaneous meet-ups that we’ve gone without for so many, many months. It spans two levels and the name was inspired by the original Victorian Roby School building next door to the hotel. We’re told visitors can expect a relaxed ambience, festoon lighting, waterside seating and an outdoor bar. Live music is on the agenda soon, happily.

Your all-day destination for those lovely food-then-drinks spontaneous meet-ups that we’ve gone without for so many, many months

The menu opts for a de rigueur street food lineup (I for one cannot wait for the skyscraper food trend of 2024 or even the Threads-style subterranean food in 2060), consisting of burgers, sandwiches and platters, plus an appealing vegan menu featuring dishes such as vegan dirty fries, corn ribs and pulled jackfruit baps. The drinks menu is equally impressive, with a wide range of beers, spirits, wine and cocktails, including products from local faves SEVEN BRO7HERS, Manchester Gin and Three Rivers Gin.

In another amusing development, sure to infuriate the traditionalists, Roby 1844 will even provide a stop for canal barges, allowing canal boat owners and passengers to moor and disembark at the terrace for a drink in the Manchester sunshine. Gentrification gone mad, I hear you cry, but you’re just jealous. I certainly am.